5 Ingredient Challenge – 9/2/10

Oh my beloved, 5 Ingredient Challenge.  It has been so neglected this summer.  But now that Autumn is just around the corner and life is settling back in to a more stable routine, perhaps the 5 Ingredient Challenge can be restored to its rightful status as a weekly event.

In case you are new to steffsays, the basics of the challenge is:

• Steve chooses 5 random ingredients to challenge me with (or vice versa)
• I have to use all 5 ingredients + unlimited other ingredients to make a 2 course meal

That’s pretty much it!

So, here are the mystery ingredients Steve gave me to work with this week:

• chipotles
• cheddar cheese
• heirloom tomatoes
• organic, free range chicken breast
• zucchini

Instantly, those ingredients screamed out one thing to me:

CHILI!

In fact, I realized that it wouldn’t be difficult at all to use all 5 ingredients in one fell swoop by making chili, but in keeping with the spirit of the challenge I decided that I would use the zucchini in an appetizer.  Here’s what I decided on:

Shaved Zucchini and Feta Salad!

(inspired by this recipe from the noshery)

Ingredients: (makes 4 appetizer portions)

Salad:

• 2 medium zucchini
• 1 yellow squash
• 3 oz of crumbled feta cheese
• Handful of pine nuts, lightly toasted

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup of EVOO
• 3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp of garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Process:

• Combine all ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl, whisk well and set aside.

• roughly peel the zucchini and the squash, leaving little bits of peel is fine
• shred the zucchini and squash into ribbons using a vegetable peeler…stop when you get to the seeds

• place all of the shaved veggies in a large bowl

• incorporate the dressing into the bowl of veggies
• mix in the feta cheese
• top the salad with toasted pine nuts

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This quick, refreshing. healthy summer salad was a big hit, even with my sometimes veggie-averse partner!

Here’s the official ratings for the Shaved Zucchini and Feta Salad:

Taste:   

Healthiness: 

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So that’s one ingredient from the challenge done.  What did I do with the other 4?  Well, I stuck with my first instinct and made chili.  More specifically, I made…

Chipotle Chicken Chili!

(inspired by this Barefoot Contessa recipe, but quite modified)

Ingredients: (serves 6-8)

• 2 large yellow onions, chopped
• 3 bell peppers (I used 1 orange and 2 yellow), chopped
• 1/8 cup of EVOO + a little extra
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
• 2 tsp of salt
• 2 tsp of cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano
• large can of kidney beans
• 28 oz can of peeled whole tomatoes
• 3 large fresh tomatoes, chopped
• chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (you need 1 chile and 2 tsp of sauce)
• 1 pound of boneless, skinless, chicken breast
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• tortilla chips (optional)

Process:

• Preheat oven to 350 F
• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat
• Add the onions and cook for 10-15 mins, until translucent
• Meanwhile, place chicken on an oiled baking sheet, rub the meat with oil, salt and pepper and bake for about 35 minutes, until just cooked through.  Whenever the chicken is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool.
• Add the bell peppers and dry spices to the pot with the onions and cook for 1 minute

• Mash the canned tomatoes by hand and combine them with the fresh, chopped tomatoes and add them to the pot
• Add the can of beans to the pot as well
• Dice one chipotle chile, add it and 2 tsp of the adobo sauce to the pot (use more or less depending on how spicy you like it)
• Stir in fresh oregano
• Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes

• Once the chicken is cooked and cool enough to touch, break the breasts apart in to bite-size pieces
• Add the chicken to the pot and cook for an additional 20 minutes
• Add more salt/spices as needed before serving
• Serve topped with a generous handful of shredded cheddar cheese

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This chili was scrumptious!  It was hearty, healthy, and the chipotle added this subtle smoky flavor that I love!

We had tons of leftover chili so even after having a bowl for lunch the day after this dinner I still have a tupperware full in the freezer!  I can’t wait to break it out in the next couple weeks.  Mmmm.

Here’s the raitings:

Taste:   

Healthiness:   

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Another 5 ingredient challenge is over!  This one scored big points in both taste and healthiness, which to me, means it was a huge success!

I hope you enjoy the recipes, and as always…

If you want to get in on the 5 Ingredient Challenge fun by doing a guest post, let me know!